If you are feeling too tired to concentrate, try walking up stairs. Even though it seems paradoxical, scientists have found that climbing up stairs can overcome fatigue.
How Does Walking Up Stairs Affect Your Energy Level?
Researchers at the University of Georgia compared stair climbing to 50 mg of caffeine. That is about how much caffeine you find in a can of soda; people frequently drink soda to combat fatigue.
The study volunteers were 18 college women who were chronically sleep deprived. They took either caffeine or placebo in pill form. Then they answered questions about their feelings of alertness or fatigue.
Climbing Stairs Was More Energizing Than Caffeine:
When the subjects spent 10 minutes walking up and down stairs, the young women experienced an improvement in energy that was greater than that produced by 50 mg of caffeine.
Randolph & O’Connor, Physiology & Behavior, online, March 14, 2017
Ideally, of course, these students would find ways to get more sleep. That would be the best way to counteract their fatigue. People can’t always sleep more, though, whether because they don’t have enough time or because they have insomnia. If you have trouble falling asleep, you may be interested in our Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep.